For a 16-year-old in Australia, Centrelink payments typically shift from family-based (like Family Tax Benefit) to individual support, primarily Youth Allowance, if they are studying full-time (especially if independent/living away from home) or looking for work, or potentially the Disability Support Pension if they have a permanent condition, with family income still impacting some entitlements until they are older.
For Centrelink payments and services, you can call our multilingual phone service. To get this payment, you must be 16 to 21 and one of the following: looking for full time work. temporarily unable to work or study while sick or injured.
If you spend equal time living with each parent, we'll assess the income of the parent you ask us to. If you don't live with either parent now, we'll assess the income of the parent you last lived with. If you last lived with both parents, we'll assess the income of the parent you ask us to.
If your balance is less than $4000, your balance may be topped up to $4,000 if it hasn't been topped up in the last 2 years. You'll also get a one-off boost to your Work Bonus balance of $4,000 if you meet all the following: you were over Age Pension age and getting a Work Bonus eligible payment before 1 December 2022.
At 16:
You can move out at 16 if you get emancipated (through the court, or sometimes by joining the military or getting married) or if your parents consent to you living on your own or with a friend or relative. Know how to do things like cooking and laundry, have a job, and budget your money to prove you can live alone.
Eligibility for the $700–$750 Payment
Eligibility is typically linked to existing Centrelink income support payments. Common qualifying categories include Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, JobSeeker Payment, Carer Payment, and certain youth or family support allowances.
Benefits you can claim if you are not working or are on a low...
This payment is available to carers of: someone with a disability (including a serious mental health condition) someone with a severe illness. someone who is frail aged.
If you're 22 or older we'll treat you as permanently independent. We may also do this in certain circumstances. You may be permanently independent if you're 22 or older.
There is no specific dollar limit for tax-free gifts in Australia. Personal gifts such as money given between family and friends are generally tax-free, but gifts involving assets may have tax consequences like CGT. Also, gifting large sums might affect government benefits or require reporting.
You may get Rent Assistance if you live with your parents or guardians, you're younger than 22, and you're independent for one of these reasons: you have or had a dependent child. you are or were married or in a registered relationship.
Young workers and the minimum wage
Minimum wages for award/agreement free workers aged under 21 are worked out as a percentage of the national minimum. If you are: Under 16, you should get 36.8%, or $9.18 an hour. Aged 16, you should get 47.3%, or $11.80 an hour.
Young workers aged 16 to 17 are entitled to at least £7.55 per hour. If you're a registered employer, you'll need to record and report their pay as part of running payroll.
Big W generally pays the retail award, a rate that fluctuates depending on the worker and role in question. As of June 2020 the award rate for a 15-year-old casual retail worker (retail level 1) was $12.04 per hour, while the rate for the same worker at age 21 was $26.76.
You can get Universal Credit if you're living with other people but it might affect how much you get. For example, living with parents might mean you get less help with housing costs. You can get Universal Credit if you're self-employed - the application process is the same.
There are several organisations that can support you if you are in need of emergency funding. These organisations can help you buy food or pay your bills.
Generally, low income is considered to be 50% or less of area median income, moderate income is 80% of area median income.
There are no extra payments for Centrelink customers. If you're not sure if Centrelink information you've seen online is real, search our genuine websites. See the link in the comments for more info 👇 The Guringai Festival had a story about a $750 one off payment for pensioners in December, 2025.
In early spring 2025, Canadians who worked in 2023 and earned up to $150,000 will receive a $250 payment—either through a direct deposit in their bank account or cheque in their mailbox.
If you are 16 or 17, you have the right to leave home and “withdraw from parental/caregiver control” which means you take over responsibility of your own care and custody. You can leave home against the wishes of your parents/caregivers and live somewhere else; and you do not need a legal guardian.
At its core, the 7-7-7 rule is exactly what it sounds like: spend 7 minutes in the morning, 7 minutes after school or work, and 7 minutes before bed in a dedicated, undivided connection with your child. During these short windows, the goal isn't productivity or problem-solving.
You're never ready for the loss of a parent, no matter what age you are. Losing a parent as a teenager is even more difficult because teens are still highly dependent on their parents for emotional support.